Concealed Carry Applications Nearly Double in Colorado

An increasing number of Coloradans are seeking to obtain a concealed weapons permit in Colorado this year compared to 2015.

According to the Denver Post via Denver7, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation recorded 31,900 applications in the first 5 months of 2016 - that's up from 16,500 applications submitted the same time last year.

Gun sales have also increased, but only slightly. CBI data on gun sales show 25,450 firearm transactions in May this year. May 2015 saw 25,000 firearm transactions.

It isn't clear what type of guns are being purchased, and these numbers obviously came before the Orlando shootings which happened in June, which takes that out of the equation when speculating what caused this increase. I only note this because studies have shown that gun sales go up after mass shootings, according to the New York Times.